The Integration of Infrastructures in Europe before the Great War and after the Second World War in comparison
Sub-project: Civil and military integration of infrastructures in Europe: oil- and fuel pipelines between 1950 - 1970
Since the early 50’s, pipelines are an essential element of the European infrastructure. The first lines were developed on the initiative of the private economy between the ports in Wilhelmshafen and Rotterdam into the Ruhr district and to Cologne. Other lines were built from Marseilles to Paris (through the Rhone Valley) or from Venice to Augsburg. The most important thing was to transport the raw oil delivered by tankers to the refineries in the big congested areas of Europe in a cheap and fast way. Not only in the civil but also in the military area oil and fuel lines were installed, generally from the big Western European ports to the centre of the continent. The project examines the emergence of the European pipeline network as part of the political and economical integration. Questions such as the following ones will be dealt with: how did one agree on the cross- border alignments of the pipelines? How were technical, judicial and internal standards developed on the European level?
Project Outline